THE SKOMER BANK MOUSE 419 



position. The tint mentioned would quite well describe the Grass 

 Mouse, which is ready enough to attack woods in times of 

 superabundance. It is, however, most probable that Bank 

 Mice are often present amongst the hordes of Grass Mice in 

 "mouse-years." Great numbers of mice were reported from 

 woods at Faldonside, Berwickshire, in the winter of 1882-1883, 

 and a specimen sent to Mr James Hardy ^ for identification 

 proved to be of the present species. In 1888 the Bank Mouse 

 was very abundant in Leigh Woods, Bristol District, having 

 been seen in small scattered parties of eight or ten travelling 

 steadily down the valleys.^ 



There are few records of the longevity of this mouse, the 

 maximum duration in the Zoological Society's Gardens having 

 been fourteen months. 



THE SKOMER BANK MOUSE, OR DRANE'S MOUSE. 



EVOTOMYS SKOMERENSIS, Barrett-Hamilton. 



1903. EvOTOMYS SKOMERENSIS, G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton, Proc. Roy. Irish Acad., 

 nth May, 316 ; described from Skomer Island, Wales (type specimen. No. 3.7.4.3 

 of British Museum collection) ; Trouessart ; Miller ; Pycraft, British Museum, 

 Guide to British Vertebrates. 



1903. EvOTOMYS SCOMERENSIS, R. Lydekker, Zoological Record, Mammals, 34 

 (misprint). 



1905. EVOTOMYS HERCYNICUS SKOMERENSIS, J. G. MiUais, Mammals of Great 

 Britain and Ireland, ii., 250. 



Distribution : — This mouse is only known from Skomer Island, off 

 the coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales. 



Description : — It differs from the Common Bank Mouse in its larger 

 size ; in the exceptionally light and bright colour of the upper side, which 

 is in sharp contrast to the buffy white under-side ; in its large, massive 

 skull, and in the complicated form of m?. 



In late winter or spring the mantle is broad, encroaching consider- 

 ably on the paler sides ; its general colour is between " orange rufous," 

 bright " cinnamon rufous," and " madder brown." On the face, sides of 

 the head, and flanks the bright rufous tints are less conspicuous, running 

 through light "hazel" or "vinaceous cinnamon" to a dull "greyish buff." 

 The rump and the upper side of the sharply bicoloured tail are " mummy 

 brown." The under-side of the body and tail, with the legs and feet, are 

 whitish, usually with a very perceptible wash of yellowish on the belly. 



The large, unusually ridged and angular skull needs no comparison 



' Proc. Berwickshire Nat. Club, x., ii., 278, 1885. ^ H. J. Charbonnier. 



